The Parable of the Minas – Luke 19:11-27 – Inductive Bible Study

Luke 19:11-27

11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 So He said, ” A noblemanwent to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return.  13 “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this  until I come back.’  14 “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’  15 “When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done.  16 “The first appeared, saying, ‘ Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’  17 “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’  18 “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’  19 “And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’  20 “Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief;  21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’  22 “He said to him, ‘ By your own wordsI will judge you, you worthless slave.Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?  23’Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’  24 “Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’  25 “And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.’  26 ” I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.  27 “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”

Not Yet Kingdom Time

Rebellious Subjects

Faithfulness Rewarded

Fruitfulness

From Subject to Ruler

Righteous Wrath

Wrong Perceptions Elicit Wrong Behavior

Slain in His Presence

Jesus was relating to the crowd before and after the parable, but it seems that this parable may have been taught while in Zaccheus’ house and if that’s the case, likely He was just speaking to His disciples, Zaccheus, and perhaps a small number of other guests.

Luke 19:1-3

He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. 3 Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature.

Luke 19:7

7 When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

Luke 19:11

While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

Luke 19:36-37

 36 As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. 37 As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen,

They are approaching Jerusalem and the disciples are expecting Jesus to set up His kingdom after arriving there.

 Comparison Chart

Matt 25:14-30

14 ” For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.  15 “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.  16 “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.  17 “In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.  18 “But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 

19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.  20 “The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’  21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 

22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’  23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 

24 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.  25’And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 

26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.  27’Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.  28’Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ 

29 ” For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.  30 “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Acts 1:6

6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

Phil 2:9-11

9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Luke 16:10-13

10 ” He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.  11 “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?  12 “And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?  13 ” No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” 

Matt 6:19-21

19 ” Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;  21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Luke 17:10

10 “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'” 

Heb 10:39

39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.

1 Cor 15:10

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

1 Tim 6:18-19

18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

Gen 39:8

8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge.

Heb 3:5-6

5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house —  whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

1 Cor 4:1-2

1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

Titus 1:7-9

7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

1 Peter 4:10

10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

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